Conventional magnetic reading and/or recording apparatus is designed to include at least one pair of rollers in the form of a pressure roller and a capstan drive roller, wherein the pressure roller typically is spring-biased towards the capstan roller to drivingly hold a magnetic recording web between the two rollers. Often, respective pairs of rollers are located upstream and downstream of a magnetic reading and/or recording element to transport the magnetic recording web over the magnetic element. The magnetic recording web is held substantially in contact with the magnetic reading and/or recording element by web tension adjacent the magnetic element caused by the location and operation of the two pairs of pressure rollers and capstan drive rollers.
Alternative means for biasing a magnetic recording web substantially into contact with a magnetic reading and/or recording element includes resilient pressure pads and/or leaf springs. Representative of the prior art in this instance are U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,049 issued Oct. 5, 1976 to Shawen and U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,782 issued Oct. 25, 1988 to Bordignon. U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,049 discloses resilient pads which are positioned to be formed in a curved manner by a leaf spring. The leaf spring applies pressure to a magnetic recording web such that the web contacts a-magnetic read element and a magnetic record element. The magnetic read and record elements are located along the length of the magnetic recording web. U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,782 discloses a leaf spring which engages a magnetic recording web and presses the web towards a magnetic reading or recording element when the magnetic element is moved into position to read or record.
The means for biasing a magnetic recording web towards a magnetic read and/or write head disclosed in the above noted U.S. Patents do not lend themselves readily to magnetic recording materials having a plurality of information tracks on the magnetic recording material. Unique problems arise when magnetic recording materials have a plurality of tracks, such as a need to match individual tracks on the recording material with one of a plurality of magnetic reading and/or recording elements.